cookies

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Mincemeat Cookies

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Mincemeat Cookies! When my friend, Ray, “gifted” me with a batch of his time-honored traditional homemade mincemeat, I felt as though I had received a portion of the Holy Grail. Could this secret from the past hold special powers? Would one bite provide happiness, eternal youth, and food in infinite abundance? You tell me. Ray carefully coached me on how to “season” the mixture by adding flavored brandy (I chose apricot) over a three-week period, stirring it occasionally in a covered clay crock. I was an awestruck student following his instructions to the letter. The results were phenomenal and elegant. Don’t let anyone tell you mincemeat is awful. When prepared correctly, some things are worth the wait. 
MINCEMEAT COOKIES
Ingredients for Cookies:

2/3 cup butter, softened 

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup mincemeat* 

2 cups flour

1 cup pecans, chopped 

Pecan halves for garnish
Ingredients for Icing:

3 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened 

1 tablespoon apricot brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1-2 tablespoons warm milk, as needed
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add eggs and mincemeat. Gradually stir in the flour. Fold in chopped pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until tops of cookies are dry and set. Bottoms will be slightly golden. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wired rack. Frost while slightly warm. Top each cookie with a pecan half before frosting sets. 
Instructions for Icing:

In a medium bowl gently mix powdered sugar and butter until smooth. Add brandy and vanilla. Stir well. As needed, add warm milk to create a thick consistency. Place a dollop of icing on each cookie. Garnish with pecan half. 
*The “Elegant Homemade Mincemeat” recipe can be found in the 1972 Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook, page 371.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Butterscotch Icebox Cookies!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Butterscotch Icebox Cookies! Here’s an old-time favorite from the North Pole. Imagine Mrs. Claus, with her crew of kitchen elves up to their elbows in flour as the aroma of bakery items fill the air. Repeat after me: “Never substitute the butter with another oil.” It will completely change the outcome. Think about it for a minute. If you remove the “butter” from butterscotch, what will that leave? Trust me, you don’t want to find out. Go for the gold instead and reap the reward. Catch the spirit and watch your little helpers share the excitement, too. 
BUTTERSCOTCH ICEBOX COOKIES 
Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions:

Melt the butter. Stir in brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In a medium bowl combine baking powder, sea salt, and flour. Pour the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring to form a solid dough. Fold in walnuts. Shape dough into two long rolls. Wrap each log in wax paper. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. To bake, preheat oven to 375°. Slice dough thinly. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Bourbon Balls!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Bourbon Balls! Remember the scene from “The Grinch Stole Christmas” where the adults in Whoville are throwing a key party? Well, I’m convinced they may have been nibbling on holiday Bourbon Balls based on the way they were flirting and having a crazy-fun time. Be forewarned. This recipe does contain chocolate and alcohol. You may want to mention it. 
BOURBON BALLS
Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup pecans, finely chopped 

Granulated sugar
Instructions:

Pulse vanilla wafers in a food processor to make crumbs. Set aside. Over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate morsels; remove from heat. Blend in corn syrup and bourbon. In a large bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, and nuts. Add chocolate mixture. Blend well. Chill 30 minutes. Using a melon ball utensil, scoop dough into 1″ balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Store in covered container for several days to season flavor. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food for Sharing: Outrageous Oatmeal Fudgies! Who doesn’t love No-Bake cookies? Forget about spending hours in the kitchen. This kid-friendly favorite can be ready in a flash. The toughest part is deciding if you want to top them off with a piece of candy corn, a walnut half, a maraschino cherry, or leave them plain. Either way, they won’t hang around long because…..(repeat after me)…Everyone loves peanut butter and chocolate!
OUTRAGEOUS OATMEAL FUDGIES 
Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons cocoa powder 

Dash sea salt

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, crunchy

2 cups whole grain oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

Candy corn
Instructions:

Combine butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, and dash of salt in a 4-quart pan. Bring to boil over medium-high temperature. Stirring occasionally, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Quickly add crunchy peanut butter, whole grain oats, and vanilla. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Top with one piece of candy corn. Let stand until cool. Store in a covered container. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter R

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Eat More: Rum Raisin Cookies! Before you turn the page, let me clarify…you can choose to omit the rum in this recipe and substitute with water and opt for rum extract instead. Either way, if you’re a raisin-lover, this version puts the “plump” in raisin to make them moist and chewy. In the time it takes to preheat the oven and assemble the remaining ingredients, the raisins are ready to use. Trust me, everyone will thank you!
RUM RAISIN COOKIES
Ingredients:

2 cups raisins

1 cup dark rum 

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup butter, softened

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup almonds, chopped
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine raisins and rum. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the alcohol has evaporated. Set aside; do not drain. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. Add the slightly beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Gradually add the flour mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix thoroughly before folding in the raisins and chopped almonds. Drop with a tablespoon 2″ apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake 12-13 minutes. Cool on wired rack. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Confetti Corn Flake Cookies! Who wants to turn your day into a party? Me, that’s who. Have a pinwheel of fun when you make a batch of these crunchy sweet drop cookies that never touch the oven. Cook them on the stovetop in just a few minutes. Make this an after-school game plan with the kids and grandkids. As they lick the chocolate morsels from their nimble fingers, they’ll sing your praises!
CONFETTI CORN FLAKE COOKIES
Ingredients:

1/2 cup Karo syrup*

1/2 cup pure honey*

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

4-5 cups corn flakes

1 cup assorted dark chocolate, white chocolate, and butterscotch morsels
*1 cup of Karo syrup can be used, omitting honey OR 1 cup of honey can be used, omitting Karo syrup. Karo gives the cookies a “glossy/shiny” finish. 
Instructions:

Over medium heat, combine the Karo syrup, honey, and sugar in a 4-quart pan. As it comes to a rolling boil, stir vigorously. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Gradually add corn flakes being careful not to crush them. Mix well. Gently blend in a portion of assorted morsels, saving some to use as topping. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. Drop cookie mixture onto waxed paper by spoonfuls. Top with assorted morsels. Let cool before serving. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Peanut Buster Oreo Perfection! This icebox treat will satisfy every craving you have, as long as it’s for something cold, salty, and sweet. The Oreo cookie crust is amazing! The layer of fudge nestled between natural vanilla bean ice cream and fluffy light whipped cream is a lip-smacking delight for the palate. The best advice I can give you is… SHARE. Otherwise, you’ll be tempted to eat the entire pan. 
PEANUT BUSTER OREO PERFECTION 
Ingredients:

1 package of Oreo cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream

12 ounces of hot fudge sauce

1 cup Spanish peanuts

8 ounces of frozen whipped topping
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom of 9″x13″ pan. Crush 24 Oreo cookies and mix well with the melted butter. Spread into the bottom of the pan making a thin, even layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice the ice cream and place in an even layer over cookie crust. Pour the hot fudge topping over the ice cream. Sprinkle peanuts over fudge sauce. Spread the whipped topping over all. Crush two more Oreo cookies and sprinkle lightly as garnish. Freeze overnight. Enjoy the perfection!

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter B

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Daily Special: Banana Bottom Parfaits! Three cheers for a dessert that is will make everyone smile. It’s light and creamy with a touch of sweetness, and a fruit finish that has you pushing back from the table and saying, “Ahhhhh!” Whether you choose a mini shot-glass portion or a stemmed goblet, the presentation on this dessert is rated 5-star, according to my husband. 
BANANA BOTTOM PARFAITS
Ingredients:

Shortbread cookies, broken into pieces*

1 box 3.4 ounce Banana Cream Instant Pudding

2 cups cold milk

3/4 cup Cool Whip whipped topping 

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

Carmel Pecan Topping (see recipe below)

Toasted Coconut for Garnish

French Vanilla Cookie Straws

* I used Kauai Kookie Banzai bite-sized cookies. 
Instructions:

Crush shortbread cookies into coarse crumbs. Using a hand mixer, beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Reserve 4 banana slices for garnish. Between the dessert dishes, layer a few banana slices in the bottom of each parfait glass. Add a spoonful of caramel sauce. Next layer the shortbread pieces. Carefully spoon in the banana pudding, making sure the layers remain separated. Repeat layers ending with pudding on top. Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted coconut, garnish with one banana slice, and a cookie straw. 
Hint: To prevent sliced bananas from turning brown, toss them with lemon juice. Pat bananas dry with paper towel before using.  
Pecan Caramel Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 teaspoons Crown Royal

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions:

Mix all ingredients except pecans, in a 2-quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook while gently stirring 5-7 minutes, or until thicker. Turn off heat. Add pecans. Pour into jar. Store in refrigerator. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Vanilla Frosting-Dipped Fruit and Cookies! Sometimes providing a last minute dessert is easier than you think. The trick is making others believe you spent hours creating such a masterpiece. Choose your favorite fruit, cookies, and frosting. (Now some may really need to cut corners and buy the ready-made frosting as well. I’ll pretend that doesn’t happen so I can share my easy buttercream frosting recipe with you today.)
VANILLA FROSTING-DIPPED FRUIT & COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, whole with stems

1 package Strawberry Macaroons

2 ounces white nonpareils

12 bamboo skewers
Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-2 tablespoons milk, warmed
Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar on low speed with hand mixer. Gradually add extracts. Blend until smooth. Add enough milk to keep it creamy, but not runny. Spoon a portion into a small microwave-safe dish and warm frosting 10 seconds in the microwave. While the frosting is warm, dip a piece of fruit or a cookie into the bowl. Using a swirling motion, rotate each piece to cover. Immediate dip into the nonpareils to coat. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat until all desired pieces are covered. Refrigerate for half an hour or until firm.